Perhaps the two most overlooked quarterbacks of the five selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Bills signal caller Josh Allen and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson have come a long way.
Allen was the third of five quarterbacks selected in Round 1 of that year’s draft at No. 7 overall. Still, he was ultimately considered a “project.” Jackson had that same stigma, but he fell to the No. 32 overall pick.
Flash forward and Jackson’s the reigning MVP and Allen might follow suit with the 2020 honor. He’s, at minimum, in the discussion.
Perhaps because of the similar routes both teams have taken through that narrative, the QBs had some big-time praise of one another ahead of their upcoming Divisional round meeting on Saturday.
“I tell this to everybody I talk to about him — he is one of the greatest dudes you can be around. He really is,” Allen said via video conference. “For him to kind of have the adversity of coming out the first year and people doubted him, and then go out and explode on the scene last year and just be this dynamic quarterback.”
“I root heavily for him, just knowing what he went through his first year, how he’s been able to do it, and how humble, how awesome he is off the field. He’s just one of those guys you root for,” Allen added.
The “doubt” about Jackson was his ability to throw the ball. Folks said the same about Allen… and in Jackson’s rebuttal, he said he loves that Allen has hushed critics with his improvement chucking it down the field, even comparing Allen to another QB that… whoever the winner of Saturday is… might face in the AFC Championship game.
“People are always just talking about Josh and his big arm, but he’s doing it all out there,” Jackson said this week. “He’s getting out of the pocket, taking advantage of what the defense gives him, throwing the ball on a rope. He’s slinging the ball like a Patrick Mahomes. He’s helping his team out a lot. He’s one of the key reasons they’re putting up so many points and winning games. Hats off to Josh because he’s been doing it since his rookie season.”
While Allen and Jackson will certainly be dueling in one sense on Saturday, they actually will have to go head-to-head with the opposing team’s defense. The plan for both defenses will start at the top with Bills head coach Sean McDermott and Ravens bench boss John Harbaugh.
Both head coaches also discussed the opposing quarterbacks they’ll be facing in the Divisional round this week. But their comparisons did echo one another because both coaches did scout both guys prior to the 2018 draft.
In looking back, both McDermott and Harbaugh both said they “really liked” both quarterbacks. Harbaugh specifically said he likes Allen’s drive.
“Just the arm talent, the ability, the athleticism and the strength. He’s just a big, strong guy,” Harbaugh said this week. “I really liked his story and what he overcame to get to where he was at. He kind of came up the hard road and the underestimated road. I always kind of like those kinds of guys, for sure.”
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